COVID-19: Over 66,000 graduates may miss NYSC orientation camp

There is a growing concern that not less than 66,000 graduates of higher institutions of learning may miss the Orientation Camp of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) if the decision by a government committee is approved.

The Economic Sustainability Committee (ESC) led by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, recently called on the Federal Government (FG) to consider suspending and closing all NYSC orientation camps for two years because of the COVID-19 protocol which demands social distancing.

The report compiled by a team of ministers – Finance, Budget & National Planning, State, Budget and National Planning, Industry Trade & Investment, Labour and Employment, State, Petroleum Resources, Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Group Managing Director, NNPC and permanent Secretary, Cabinet Office – Secretary is aimed at proffering changes in different sectors of the country’s economy post-COVID-19.

PRNigeria gathered that about 66,000 candidates who are due to be mobilized by the NYSC for the Batch A, Stream Two, orientation camp exercise will be affected if the policy is accepted and implemented.

Meanwhile, the NYSC Foundation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has urged the Federal Government (FG) to have a rethink before it approves a proposal to suspend the orientation programme of the scheme.

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The Foundation’s Executive Secretary, Mr. Ventim Bako, maintained that such action is fraught with ‘grave’ danger, which can affect the capacity of corps members at their various places of primary assignments (PPAs).

The NYSC Foundation provides information, organizes programmes and executes projects for the NYSC Scheme. Among other things, it also promotes the welfare of corps members, supports the activities of NYSC in various orientation camps, provides soft loans to corps members to boost their infant business ventures, and also expose them to better job opportunities.

Speaking with PRNigeria, Bako said the VP and members of the ESC must have offered the suggestion with the best of intention, which is to protect lives and also to contain COVID-19.

“However, within the context of the statutory mandate of NYSC and the activities that normally precede the deployment of corps members, we appeal to the government to have a rethink about the proposal. This is simply because you cannot bring out fresh graduates from universities and polytechnics and just unleash them on the society for primary assignments.